The Price of Life
by Stacey James
Summary: Post season 2
1. Default Chapter

Tony, Chase and Michelle sat around the table in the CTU conference room. Jack was talking. He stood behind his chair, leaning slightly forward with his palms resting on the chair back as if the chair were balancing his weight. Not for the first time, Chase found himself impressed by Jack's ability to get results – quickly.  
  
"...They're buying," Jack continued, "And the meet is at 5"  
  
"They didn't waste much time setting that up" Tony observed  
  
"No – I think they wanted to make it quick," Jack looked reflective, "They're still suspicious. We're not out of the water yet... I've said one man only and if I see more, they get nothing"  
  
"But what about you? Are you planning to go alone?" Michelle guessed the answer would be yes but was interested to hear him justify it. After all, these people knew Jack couldn't be working alone.  
  
Jack nodded, "I've told them I sell information, not names. If they push me for names, I'll stop giving them information. If my source is compromised nobody gets anything."  
  
"But you'll be wired?" Chase asked.  
  
"Yeah. Wire, camera, whatever you need. This exchange is supposed to be on my terms remember. I'm selling. I'm supposed to be suspicious of him. I'll frisk him. He doesn't get to frisk me"  
  
"Yeah. I just don't know where we're going with this" Chase shook his head, "Other than putting you into dangerous situations"  
  
"OK – let's clarify this before we go any further", Tony said, "Jack goes in, sells them good classified information which the mole verifies for them. The mole is immediately suspicious – another seller in the market at the same time – so he has to find out who Jack is. He finds out easy enough, realises Jack's the source and not just a go-between seller - but then he doesn't know if Jack's for real or not – how can he – so he has to start his own investigation. He finds out Jack has a drug habit to support and needs the money. And he either tries to link with him or burn him – either way we have him"  
  
"Got it in one Tony" Jack said, somewhat sarcastically  
  
Tony smiled, "Just as long as we all know what we're doing", he said  
  
Jack walked towards the door, "Ok, Michelle let's wire me up" he called  
  
There was a light knock on the door and Chapelle walked in.  
  
Jack nodded at him as he and Michelle walked out.  
  
Chapelle looked at Chase and Tony. "OK, 5pm it is then. Run the operation from in here Tony. 2 computers. You and Michelle. People will realise it's a secret op – but there's nothing new in that. Chase, I want you on the ground at the warehouse. Outside. Don't let anyone see you – especially Jack" 


	2. No sale

At 4.55pm, Chapelle was talking to Michelle. He had a thick wad of papers in his hand, which represented all the intelligence they had so far on the group Jack was selling to. They were interrupted by a phone call which Michelle answered.  
  
"Chase", she explained as she passed the receiver to her boss  
  
"Yes Chase. Go ahead"  
  
"They've got some heavies standing around the west door – maybe just support if their guy needs it – not necessarily suspicious. East door is clear."  
  
"Thanks Chase. Hold your position. We'll keep the line open. Don't move without my order."  
  
Tony was standing with his hands resting on the top of the computer. He bent over and studied the images on the monitor, his nose just a few inches from the screen. The screen was split into three. In two of the sections Jack was visible standing in the centre of a deserted warehouse. But Tony was studying a tiny blur in the top right of the screen. He clicked to enlarge the image and immediately spoke to Jack,  
  
"You've got company, Jack", he said, tension evident in his voice, "Up a level, at one o'clock."  
  
Jack's head tilted up slightly as he squinted into the shadows in the direction Tony had indicated,  
  
"Can't see anything Tony", Jack spoke very quietly, chin down. His right hand slid inside his brown leather jacket to retrieve his gun from its holster.  
  
Tony looked at the bottom of the screen where Jack's miniature camera was recording. No movement was visible from that angle.  
  
"Believe me, you're not alone. Your man's here.," Tony spoke quietly as he watched the black figure in the top of the screen creep towards Jack's position. Then he saw more blurry movement – another figure advancing from behind Jack.  
  
"OK Jack. I'm counting two now. It's a set up. The second is directly behind you - maybe 400 yards. Drop the wire and go for the door to your right – the East door. The other door is guarded"  
  
Chapelle, overhearing the words 'set up', joined Tony at the screen and Tony pointed at the advancing figures  
  
"Get him out of there now", Chapelle demanded  
  
Tony looked at him and raised his eyebrows, making it quite clear without speaking that he had already given those orders. On the screen, they could see that Jack hadn't moved. Tony wondered if Jack was considering how Tony could know which door was guarded, so he spoke again.  
  
"Jack, are you reading me? Get out of there now. There's more than one. Ditch the wire and run"  
  
"Chapelle's orders" he added, trying to make Jack move  
  
"Negative Tony. We get more if they catch me. Keep watching and listening. See what you can pick up."  
  
Tony could immediately see the logic of Jack's argument. This group clearly didn't trust him so the original plan was blown. But they did need to find out who Jack was. Logical – but dangerous. Tony looked at Chapelle, who was frowning and didn't appear about to speak. Tony made a decision, looking at Chapelle as he spoke,  
  
"OK Jack we're here - but ditch the wire. They'll kill you if they find you're wired."  
  
Chapelle nodded his agreement and alerted Chase.  
  
"Chase. Listen carefully. The sale is aborted. They have more than one man in there. Jack wants to stay – He'll let them capture him. Let it happen. Repeat. Let it happen. Wait for instructions" There was a short silence on the end of the line before Chase confirmed the orders – another man like Jack, Chapelle thought to himself - A man who couldn't just follow the rules – wanted to live and die by his own decisions. Nevertheless, he had confirmed the orders. This time he would wait.  
  
Meanwhile Jack stood still in the warehouse, still wired, trying to look as if all was going to plan.  
  
"I'm gonna stay wired, Tony. They won't kill me." Jack whispered into the mike, "They need to know who I am. Keep watching and listening, Tony"  
  
Jack was aware of the movement around him now. Unfortunately, he could hear footsteps behind him too and realised he was surrounded. His body tensed. He aimed to be caught, but he couldn't give in without a fight. No one would just give themselves up.  
  
"OK – this is it", he said to himself as much as to the mike as he swung round into a karate kick, catching the man behind him in the stomach. The man fell backwards taken by surprise and the miniature camera continued to record as Jack ran across the warehouse, firing his gun at two figures who were approaching from the right. Jumpy images filled the bottom half of the screen.  
  
"We can sort through the images later", Tony said to Chappelle. We might be able to identify one or two of them.  
  
Jack crouched behind some packing cases, just visible on the top screen of Tony's computer. Three figures spread out in front of him, one walking directly towards his position, the other two circling around behind him.  
  
Jack swung out from behind the packing case and took out the man in front of him with one shot to the chest. He sprinted towards the door to his left, which Tony had assured him was guarded. He was firing as he ran. The fire from Jack's gun and the return fire were visible as flashes on the computer screen.  
  
Jack made it to the door and swung it open. He was greeted by two quick punches to the stomach and one to the face as one of the guards entered the room. The other two shooters surrounded him before he could get up.  
  
'Shit' said Tony and he pursed his lips and shook his head. Chappelle folded his arms and looked at the screen grimly, exhaling.  
  
Pull up a seat Tony. We're doing it Jack's way now. We'll try and make out the faces. Make sure Michelle is ready. We'll need any images we get identified quickly. And until they find the wire, we can listen – see if they give anything away. - maybe get a lead or two. 


	3. Just one punch

"Stand up,"  
  
Jack looked up and frowned at the man whose punch had sent him to the floor. Nevertheless, he did as he was asked. He got up slowly, partly because his muscles still ached from the punches and partly because he thought it safer not to make any sudden movements. These were thugs – no more and no less. If he scared them, they would attack –and that wouldn't help anyone. They needed to feel as if they were in charge.  
  
"You're supposed to be buying information- not beating it out of me" Jack observed, rubbing his stomach like a man unused to such brutish behaviour.  
  
"Yeah well, we'll see about that," his attacker replied, sounding less than convincing. He nodded at one of the men behind Jack, who responded by raising his gun and pressing it sharply into Jack's temple.  
  
It was clear to Jack that these guys knew very little – probably less than Jack – about what was happening – or why. They were just following orders. The orders appeared to be just to capture him alive – which suited Jack. Jack's plan was equally simple. He wanted to distract the men from searching him, to get as far as he could – as close as possible to the men behind the operation - still wired.  
  
The guard who punched Jack had pulled a radio from his waistband and started to talk  
  
"We have him Ril", he said  
  
The radio crackled in response and then Jack could make out another voice, with a foreign accent. He hoped it was audible at CTU too. He could imagine Michelle desperately searching and cross referencing computer files: voice records, names, photos...  
  
"We'll be there in five. Don't let him go. He's dangerous. Search him, And Travis..."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Make him uncomfortable"  
  
Travis smirked. Jack stared straight ahead, his eyes cold. He had to distract them from the search but they looked a bit trigger happy so an attempted escape would be dangerous. And nothing from CTU yet so they needed more time to check the records.  
  
Watching the screen carefully, Chappelle called Chase again,  
  
"Hold your position Chase. We're expecting more people to arrive. We need pictures transmitted as soon as you see them. Got that?"  
  
Chase confirmed the order and asked,  
  
"What about Jack?"  
  
"Jack's fine" Chappelle replied, looking at Tony as if daring him to contradict.  
  
In the warehouse, Jack had decided on his best course of action.  
  
"Can't make your own decisions then?" Jack questioned Travis. "You must be bottom of the pile. I could take you so easily – probably just one punch."  
  
Tony allowed himself a half smile. Yes Jack, you probably could – he thought  
  
"Yeah – well – me too" Travis responded, immediately riled by Jack's taunts. He slammed his fist into Jack's stomach one more time. But this time Jack was ready for it – he had asked for it and he saw it coming. He read it well, bent his knees slightly to help him balance and took a step back as the punch connected. He was still winded and he grunted involuntarily as he bent at the waist - but he was still upright.  
  
"See" Jack said, through gritted teeth as he straightened up.  
  
"I've got a match," Michelle shouted triumphantly.  
  
Tony and Chapelle moved across to Michelle's monitor to read the names.  
  
"Alert Jack" Chapelle said. "Let him know we're getting there. And organise back up for Chase. We're gonna take a look at this guy Ril when he arrives – if we get the chance – and then we're gonna get Jack out. 


	4. Gathering information

Michelle pointed at her monitor and read the name under the photo of a swarthy face,  
  
"Vladimir Ivanovich. Bodyguard to Kirrill Shandolov –a Chechnyan assassin – thought to have entered France two weeks ago..." Chappelle frowned but before he could speak they were interrupted by the phone.  
  
He moved to answer the phone, keeping his eyes on the action as it unfolded in the warehouse. He saw Jack straighten up and look at his attacker, determined to rile him some more – anything to divert his attention from the order he had received to search Jack.  
  
'Well, pussy, Is it my turn to hit you now?" Jack asked quietly with a smirk on his face.  
  
Travis growled "Jeez –just show this loser how uncomfortable we can make him" and he delivered a left hook to Jack's chin in an effort to destroy his arrogance. Jack was unbalanced by the punch and as he stumbled to one side, another of the guards followed up by cracking his gun down across the back of Jack's head. The impact sent Jack to the floor and, as soon as he was down, one of them kicked him in the stomach. There was nothing more Jack could do now. He curled into a ball and waited for them to stop.  
  
In the CTU office, everything was happening at once.  
  
Tony picked up another phone as it rang. He continued to watch the pictures at the warehouse and hoped Jack's beating was less severe than it looked.  
  
"Yes Chase"he said as he heard the younger agent's voice  
  
"I'm sending pictures now. Two more men have arrived – they'll be inside in about two minutes "  
  
"OK Chase – back up will arrive in..." Tony looked across at Chapelle who was replacing the receiver from the call he had received. Chapelle put up one hand with his fingers splayed out and Tony relayed the information to Chase,  
  
"...5 minutes. They will attack on your orders. You wait for a signal from Jack or me"  
  
Chase's pictures were arriving on Michelle's screen and she was cross referencing them with the information she already had. Within seconds she confirmed one of the men about to enter the warehouse as Kirrill Shandolov.  
  
Chapelle shouted across to Tony, "OK Kirrill Shandolov is confirmed – get the information to Jack before he loses the wire."  
  
"Or loses consciousness" Tony observed. He passed the information to Jack on an open line, making sure that Chase had the same information, but he was all too aware that there was no way of knowing if Jack received the message  
  
"Jack, your guys are the heavies for Kirrill Shandolov – Chechnyan assassin – and he will be with you any minute now. Back up is arriving outside. They'll be led by Chase. They should be ready to enter in five minutes and they'll enter on your command – or mine if you can't give it."  
  
Chapelle joined Tony at the screen with the warehouse images. Jack was now being lifted to his feet as the other two men entered the warehouse. Chappelle called Michelle over. She frowned as she saw them dragging Jack off the floor.  
  
"We're short of time here Michelle but we're totally in the dark. We need to know how Shandalov is involved. I want you to go see what you can dig up – but first, can you get a better focus on Jack?" he asked. "We need to see what sort of state he's in."  
  
Michelle moved the mouse around, gradually zooming in on Jack. The picture wasn't very clear but Jack was moving. Michelle than moved away to search through the files on Shandlaov.  
  
"It looks as if he is more or less holding his own weight" Chappelle observed. "So he's conscious."  
  
Jack was indeed conscious and was trying to think past the pain to make sense of the information Tony had sent him. How was a Chechnyan assassin involved? They had thought the mole was selling information to the Russians. Was the information wrong? The Russians and Chechnyans couldn't be in it together. 


End file.
